Sanitary dental floss holder



Aug. 7, I E. DEMBENSKI SANITARY DENTAL FLOSS HOLDER Filed May 25, 1944 INVENTOR Joseph E. Dembeh k| mom I TAT Patented Aug. 7, 1945 j SANITARY DENTALIFLOSS HOLDER j Joseph E. Demben ski, New York, N. Y.

Application May'2'5, 1944,"Seriai No. 531,248 j 4 Claims. 01. lea-92),,

This inventionrelates to. new and useful improvements in a sanitarydental floss holder.

- More 1 specifically, .construction of a sanitary the invention proposes the dental floss holder; constructed in a novel manner to permit areas of the dental floss tobe exposed from the holder. It is 7 between a pairof spaced fingers extend ng proposed to construct the holder in such a manner that theexposed portion of the dental floss the. adjacent faces of particles may be engaged between- ';ones teeth in a manner; to remove food and other materials lodged, between the teeth.

:A further object of the invention proposes characterizing the dental floss holder by a cas- .ing designed to enclose a drum for dentalflo-ss and which has, a new sectionfor new dental floss, and aused section for receiving the dental floss asitis used and arranged in a "manner to be rotated to move'the dental flossfrom thenew section totheusedsection. i

Still another object-f theinventionproposes the provision of a ratchet means within the casing arranged in a-manner to limitrotation of the drum to advance thev dental floss from the new section to the used section. I r

Still further-the inve tion proposesextending *a web; of the maybe used... I v

QAnotherobject of the invention proposes constructingthe fingers of the telescopically engaged sections resiliently urged apart and mounted in a manner to-be compressed under the tension of the webofdental floss moving from thenewsection of the drum. n This resilient construction of the fingers permits a compensation to automatically take place as a; greater portion of the dental floss .beco'mes wound on theused seetion'and unwound from the new section. 1

It is a further object'of this invention tov construct a sanitary. dental floss holder which is simple and durable and which may be manufactured'and sold at a reasonable cost.

, For'further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the'following' description and accompanying drawing, and to the append ed claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth. In the accompanying drawing forming a material part of this disclosure: r Fig. l is a'perspective view of asanitary dental floss holder constructed in accordance with this invention.

dental floss from the casing in a mannerto be extended over the fingers so that the web'which is extended between the fingers upon the squared. portion extended through the casing Fig. 2 is a plan view of thesanitary dentalfioss .holderwith the cover removed. 3

Fig'. 3 is "a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.. v Fig. is a sectional view taken on the line 45-4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a for supporting. the drum.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged partial verticalsectional viewof one of the fingers taken on the line'6--6 of'FigQ2. I I I V e The sanitary dental floss holder, according to this invention includes a casing in constructed of'plastic or similar material and having an open top, closedby means ofv The cover is'releasably held'in position bylmeans of several screws l2 crother suitable means.

A drum l3 fordental flos I4 is mounted within casing l0. The drum 13 has acentral wall I5 dividing it into a new section [6 for new dental vfloss and a used section I! for receiving used dentalv floss.

v I I The drum I3 is provided with a squared center opening I8 adapted to be engaged [9 of the spindle from. side toside. One end of the spindle 20 is provided with an external knob 2| by which it may be turned. The

dental floss M on thedrum I3 has its new portion wound in one direction while the used por-' tion of the dentalfloss is wound in the opposite direction upon the used section I! of the drum Thus, when the drum I0 is turned continuously in one directionthe dental floss [4 will be advarlced to be unwound from the new section l6 be rewound upon the used of the drum-andto section-l1. v

Means is-provided .in connection with the drum 13 within the casing l0 for limiting rotation of the drum to unwind the new section of the dental floss l4 and Wind up the used section. This means comprises a ratchet wheel 22 formed integrally upon one sicle, of the drum. This ratchet wheel22 is engaged by a resilient pawl 23; The resilient pawl.23 hasone end engaging the teeth of the ratchet wheel 22.- The opposite end of the resilient pawl 23 is fixedly attached to the base wall ofthe casing H] by means of several rivets 24. A means is provided for releasably retaining the spindle 20 in position within the casing [0 with the drum l3 in position thereon. This means comprises a small reduced portion 25 formed upon the end of the spindle 20 and which I is projected from the side wall of the casing I0.

This projected end is provided with threads and perspective view of the spindleused a removable cover l l.'

is adapted to have a nut 26 engaged thereon to removably hold the spindle 20 in position.

The front of the casing I6 is provided with a pair of spaced fingers 26. The spaced fingers 2-6 are each formed of telescopically engaged sections 21. A spring 28, of the expansion type, is provided between the adjacent ends of the sections 21 of each of the fingers 26 for urging them into an extended position. A web portion [4 of the dental floss I4 is extended through openings 29 formed in the casing adjacent the base of the fingers 26. The web portion Id after being passed through the opening 29, after being un-.

wound from the new section l6 of the drum I3, is extended along a groove 36 formed in the side of one of the fingers 26 and is then extended through eyes 30a formed at the top end of the grooves 36 and then extended across the end of the fingers 26 and back along the groove 36 formed in the other of the fingers. The end of the web portion M is then extended through the opening 29 adjacent this latter finger and into casing I6 to be attached to the used section I! of the drum IS. The drum 13 may then be turned through the medium of the spindle to advance the dental floss from the new section l6 to the used section I! of the drum IS. The resilient construction of the fingers 26 tends to permit the length of the sections 21 to automatically adjust themselves to compensate for the tension of the dental floss M as it is wound and unwound from the sections I6 and I! of the drum l3.

It is proposed that drum l3 be provided for use in the casing In, with the dental floss all wound upon the new section I6 thereof so that the end thereof may be unwound and extended from the casing around the fingers 26 and back into the casing It to be attached to the used section I! of the drum l3. When the new floss I4 is in position within the casing it may be advanced to expose new portions of the web to be used for cleaning food particles and other materials from their lodged position between the adjacent faces of the teeth.

To accomplish this it is proposed that the casing Ill be gripped in one hand permitting the free ends of the fingers 26 to be inserted into the mouth so that the dental floss exposed between the ends of the fingers may be pressed downwards between the adjacent faces of the teeth toremove the material therebetween.

It is proposed to provide a spare drum of dental floss Ma which may be interchanged with the original drum I3 after it is fully used. This spare drum of dental floss Ma is held on spindle 20a similarly to' the drum held on spindle 26.

It is also proposed to provide a sanitary cap I Do, adapted to cover the spaced fingers 26, when the device is not in use. While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A sanitary dental floss holder comprising a casing for .a dental floss drum, a drum for dental floss mounted in said casing and having a new section for new dental floss and a used section for receiving used dental floss, and a pair of spaced fingers projecting'from said casing and having passages for holding a web of said dental floss as it extends from said new drum section to said used drum section, said fingers being constructed of separate telescopically engaged sections and resilient means for extending said sections.

2. A sanitary dental floss holder comprising a casing for a dental floss drum, a drum for dental floss mounted in said casing and having a new section for new dental floss and a used section for receiving used dental floss, and a pair of spaced fingers projecting from said casing and having passages for holding a web of said dental floss as it extends from said new drum section to said used drum section, said fingers being constructed of separate telescopically engaged sections and resilient means for extending said sections, each of said fingers, comprising a solid section formed integrally with said casingand an outer tubular section slidably engaging said inner section and having a closed outer end.

3. A sanitary dental floss holder, comprising a casing for a dental flossdrum, a drum for dental floss mounted in said casing-and having a new section for new dental floss and a used section for receiving used dental floss, and a pair of spaced fingers projecting from said casing and having passages for holding a web of said dental floss as it extends from said new drum section to said used drum section, said fingers being constructed of separate telescopically engaged sections and resilient means for extending said sections, said passages being formed continuously along the sections of said fingers.

4; A sanitary dental floss holder, comprising a casing for a dental floss drum, a drum for dental floss mounted in said casing and having a new section for new dental floss and a used section for receiving used dental floss, and a pair of spaced fingers projecting from said casing and having passages for holding a web of said dental floss as it extends from said new drum section to said used drum section, said fingers being constructed of separate telescopically engaged sections and resilient means for extending said sections, each of said fingers, comprising a solid section formed integrally with said casing and an outer tubular section slidably engaging said in- 

